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The purpose of the visit was to gain insights into the design and organisation of student-led maker spaces and to understand how collaboration is fostered through The Diamond's building design. This visit is part of their preparation for developing the National Centre for Child Health Technology (NCCHT) at the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park.

Sheffield Children's is undertaking the ambitious project of building the NCCHT to unite world-leading universities, industry experts, healthcare professionals, and children and young people. The centre aims to pioneer new advancements in child health technologies by facilitating design, creation, and testing in an innovative environment. A key feature of the NCCHT will be its Design and Manufacturing Centre, where engineers, innovators, designers, and researchers will collaboratively develop new technologies, manufacture prototypes, and engage with children and young people in co-design sessions.

During the visit, Jude Stone, Programme Director for the NCCHT, emphasised the value of seeing The Diamond's spaces in person, "It was really insightful to see first hand the spaces in The Diamond, which brought to life our plans and aspirations for the Design and Manufacturing Centre in the NCCHT. Andrew, Pete, and Laura were incredibly generous in sharing their successes and learnings in using the spaces to make great things happen. We look forward to further opportunities to collaborate and share over the coming years."

The visiting team from Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust included:

• Jude Stone, Programme Director, National Centre for Child Health Technology
• Dr. Paul Dimitri, Clinical Director of Child Health Technology
• Steve Brunyee, Construction Director
• Hannah Thornton, Programme Communications Officer 
• Mark Jones, Health and Safety Manager
• Neil Orpwood, Associate Director, HLM Architects

They were hosted by MEE staff based in The Diamond. The hosts included Professor Andrew Garrard, Dr. Pete Mylon and Laura Neasmith. The exchange provided valuable insights into the practical aspects of working in a state-of-the-art educational building and highlighted the potential for future collaborative opportunities between the two institutions.

The visit marks an important step in the development of the NCCHT, setting the stage for a collaborative effort to advance child health technology through innovative design and engineering.

You can find out more about the National Centre for Child Health Technology on the website -